Bayonetta Cheaper On PS3 Than 360

Well, hello. Spencer found something very interesting over at the Gamestop website. The PS3 version of Bayonetta is priced at $54.99, while the 360 version costs the full $59.99.

While it’s not a huge difference, the reduced price may be in light of the widespread concern that the game was developed for the Xbox 360 by Platinum Games and then ported over to Sony’s console by SEGA. Or it could be a Gamestop and Amazon decision.

Something to note: During its first day on Japanese shelves, the PS3 version of Bayonetta sold 93,000 copies while the 360 version sold a (relatively) respectable 45,000 copies. We’ll know how closely the two match up in the coming weeks, given that the PS3 version received a far larger initial shipment; however, the gap in their sales is far less than other, similarly anticipated multiplatform releases.

For comparison, the first day sales of Resident Evil 5 and Devil May Cry 4 in Japan were as follows:

Resident Evil 5PS3: 222,000 360: 56,000

Devil May Cry 4PS3: 140,000 360: 30,000

It’s hard to say whether the smaller difference between PS3 and 360 sales of Bayonetta is due to this port business or the fact that it isn’t a franchise historically associated with the PlayStation brand. Still, while the PS3 version is in no danger of lagging behind its 360 counterpart in Japan, the reduced Gamestop price suggests that this may a concern in the U.S.

And to think all of this could have been avoided had Platinum Games simply not chosen to include that odd notice at the end of the Bayonetta demo.

45k’s not too bad for a multiplatform game in Japan. Even with the differences between the two, I think it was fairly obvious that Japan would pick the PS3 over the 360.

Slashlen

45k isn’t bad, but that’s kinda the point. PS3 outsold 360 4 to 1 on RE5, almost 5 to 1 on DMC4. This is barely 2 to 1, and seems to indicate that people know something’s wrong with the PS3 version. The console war in Japan favors the PS3 enough that I still wouldn’t expect 360 to outsell it on a multi title, but the ratio is a lot closer than usual.

Ereek

True, it is much closer than normal. Especially since there has been an influx of PS3 sales in Japan with the release of the Slim and the price drop.

Aoshi00

Like Kitase said, real gamers should have all 3 consoles by now anyway. The only excuse for Jpn shunning the 360 is it’s not a Jpn system. At least the 360 is starting to shred its infamous “Box” (hako) image in Jpn.Personally I prefer the 360 version for most games since I really like its controller. I got DMC4 for PS3 just to be consistent w/ 1-3 (which I regret due to no trophies), but I got RE5 for 360 since its controller is better for shooters. Most fighting games so far I’ve gotten on PS3 due to the extra disc on blu-ray, like for BlazBlue and SF4.Glad to see the gap is closer for Bayonetta in this case, at least Jpn gamers seem to be recognizing a game based on its merits instead of blindly following their brand (Sony/Nintendo) no matter what.

ElTopo

Don’t have a 360, don’t plan on picking one up for a long time. Before it was the unreliability of the hardware, and now I just don’t have a need to go out and drop another 300$ (+150$ for online..fraking M$) for a weak showing of exclusives. And I actually prefer the Dualshock heavily over the 360′s, the squishy d-pad is a big problem for me, and the arrangement on the controller isn’t the best for me.

Does that not make me a real gamer?

Aoshi00

Well, you could list all the things you don’t like about the 360, no system is perfect. For me, all 3 systems have games that I want to play on, and I’m sick and tired of people constantly complaining why this or that game is not on “their system”. I have 3 consoles and 2 handhelds, so release it on any platform you want, I don’t care, I would pick up the supposedly best version given the same price. I didn’t like the original Xbox controller (or the S), Dual shock 1/2 were fine but I’ve gotten used to the 360 pad, yes, the d-pad is crap but I rarely find myself using that if at all. The sixaxis left a bad taste in my mouth before DS3 came along, yes, I refused to play PS2 games on my PS3 w/o the vibration.Don’t see why you need to bash the 360 or “M$”. I’m not crazy about the Wii, but I have it. For me, there are more than enough exclusives (JRPGs, shumps, shooters, live arcade), for the 360 that made me want to own the system. Not to mention I watch Netflix all the time. Heck, just Lost Odyssey, Death Smiles, and Mushihime-sama make the system worth owning.

ElTopo

Its really not enough though, and 2 of those are imports to a system that is region locked, which means I would have to have an expensive imported machine to play them, no thanks.

I’m not bashing the 360 when I say M$. A major problem I have with the 360 is the amount of cash you need just for the basics.
-No Wifi is a huge thing, a 100$ adapter is just robbery, on top of the 50$ a year, which offers nothing more then the PS3′s PSN (cross game chat is not a 50$ feature).
-Non-rechargable controllers (without an additional adapter 20$)
-Price of entry without said features was too high (Elite dropping down was nice, but still, thats a 450$ system without an adapter and the arcade was a joke)
-Hardware was unreliable, plagued by rrod/E40/ all kinds of issues, while new systems running better chips and a more reliable architecture are out, still leaves a bad taste
-Games just aren’t that appealing to me, nothing is tempting me to really go out and spend 300-450$ to play it. Theres a few JRPG’s but those are migrating over, and the exclusives aren’t worth it for me.
-Internet social networks are not a feature, an internet browser is all you need to access them, and frankly, I have a computer.
-Netflix was a good idea, but not a selling point. Most stock blu-ray players have streaming netflix as well, as will the PS3, and probably the Wii at some point

Things I like: Microsoft pumped a ton of cash into XBLA and they really did a great job with it. Lots of good games coming out on the platform, Wiiware never really was fully realized and Playstation store, while it gets some good games, just never took off. However I also hate the idea of DLC, and prefer material games, 10$ seems to be about the max I go for downloaded gaming.
(Mega Man 9, some VC which is silly because I have all the systems,SSF2THDR, SFPuzzleHDR)

Aoshi00

FYI, Mushihime will be region free too, which is a miracle. I’m not going to counter those points since we’ve all heard of them ad infinitum. No doubt, the PS3 has the best value (at this point), but it wasn’t always $300. I got my 12-mo Live subscription for like $36, so that’s like $3 a month for playing online and watching Netflix, it’s negligible to me (and most of all worth it), a cable subscription is more than that. I actually prefer switching rechargeable batteries on the 360 pad when it runs out as I have several ready, instead of stopping my gaming session by connecting to a USB and let it charge.One could argue that the Wii was totally not worth $250 considering I haven’t touched it for months. It comes down to your personal gaming taste I suppose. I like both PS3 and 360, as gaming machines and media centers. For me, if I know there’s only one game that I really must play and knowing that it will never be on another system, I would buy the system just for that. As for DLC, nobody likes them, but it’s come down to this now, so just don’t buy it if you don’t support such practice. But it’s good we have such a platform to release cheaper games for, and a remake of a classic is always welcome, provided it’s done well, still can’t believe how they messed up TMNT re-shelled, one of my favorite SNES game.. good thing i tried the demo and didn’t blow the 800 points.

ElTopo

Which I don’t. Dont have to stop a gaming session per, just have to plug it in for a short time period while you play. Changing out batteries is about the same in terms of stopping playing, and frankly the recharge kit and battery packs expenses arent worth the small amount of time it might save me/sitting within the 2 meter USB cord for a while.

The fact that I basically have to drop money on a service that provides nothing short of just playing online, money I could be spending on gaming, and that ultimately the service is limited in that I have to continue spending on it to play, is the reason its not worth it at all.

I wasnt going to originally jump in on a PS3, however when I heard they were dropping BC for PS2 games, and that the 60 gig was going out of production, I dropped 450$ on my 60gig and picked on up before they were gone. However at the time, Xbox was still retailing for 350$ (449$ for elite) +150$ for online + 100$ for HD-DVD (if you cared) +more cash for other accessories, so really it was still the better deal.

I would say there really are no counter points to those arguments
-”Just plug it in” is a common stupid argument, which really depending on where you live could be impossible, making wifi mandatory

Aoshi00

Well, like I said, if I find 5 , 10, or 20 games that I love playing on that system, the system would be worth its price. The Wii could be worth as cheap as $100 and it’s still not worth it if you don’t find yourself playing it and let it sit there for months to collect dusts. I’ve gotten both 360 and PS3 shortly after launch, while I might have paid a lot more than people who waited and jumped in later, they have served me well. I don’t see the point why people would keep putting down another system to justify they got the right system, or a system w/ “better value”. I can’t put it simpler than this, all 3 consoles have games that I want to play on, so I bought them, it’s nothing that needs to be over-analyzed. I don’t remember owning just the SNES and ditching Genesis’s inferior graphics and sound, or playstation vs Saturn vs N64, Dreamcast vs PS2 vs Xbox. Yes, I still believe “most” real gamers pretty much own all the systems there are, there’s no excuse. Unless like you said, you absolutely don’t find anything of interest on that particular system.

ElTopo

Value is important when it comes down to making a decision as a consumer. Spending almost 1000$ (more at launch) just for the consoles alone, is a lot of cash to drop down when most titles are multiplatform today, so its very much something people should consider.

I don’t have to justify it, I went with a PS3 because of my huge library of PS2 games and because I just dont like Microsofts way of selling their console, accessories, and online content. The library isn’t compelling enough for me to pick one up now, especially since a lot of titles I’m interested in are multiplatform (I only own 4 exclusives out of 11 PS3 games).

For older generations, exclusives were a much bigger deal, and only really this generation are we seeing that breaking off from that trend (probably because of the high costs of developing games on modern consoles). Nothing wrong with owning all 3 today, however just owning two can be a money saving smart decision, which is again why I don’t intend on picking up a 360.

I’m actually just now planning on picking up the small handful of titles I was interested in on xbox as the brick and mortar stores are clearing inventory and I can snatch up titles like Shenmue 2/Panzer Dragoon Orta/Jade Empire on the cheap!

Aoshi00

I don’t see how one could spend $1000 more by getting those systems at launch, it was $300 more for the PS3, the org. 60Gb w/ B/C after price drop was also more expensive than Slim now before it phased out, you saved $150 since you said you got it for $450. I got my core 360 at $300 (+HDD), so I would have to say I spent about $500-600 more total for getting 360/PS3 early, but’s the value for me playing 3 yrs worth of games alrdy. Of course you are going to get things cheaper the longer you wait, but would one wait all these years to buy a Wii to save $50? Or for games, if you don’t need to play them on day 1, you certainly don’t need to pay $60 and pay $20-30 if you wait 6 months to 1 year. But to a person who needs to play that game on release day, $60 is worth it to them. Well, I ain’t going to pick up games for cheap and wait almost 10 years to play them, like Shenmue 2 and Panzer Dragoon, which I played back in college, and are definitely outdated by now (recently just tried them out w/ 360′s B/C). That’s not a smart decision, you play NES games during the NES era, you play Xbox games in 2002, and you play next gen games today, not 5 years from now, just to save money.

The bottom line is a system or a game is only worth as much as you think it’s worth.

ElTopo

I don’t wait out of necessity, but when you consider how many games are coming out for these systems, especially with the industry booming like it is, its just not possible to pick up every game I’m interested in at launch. With the xbox I just wasn’t interested in anything more then a handful of titles, so I just never picked one up.

Don’t get me wrong I don’t *dislike* the 360 per say, its got some solid games and the platform over all has done well, I just don’t like how its sold and packaged and with most games going multiplatform I lack the need to really pick up a third system.

Overall good discussion Aoshii

http://www.younganimal.com/berserk Mr_Qoo

I think El Topo has made their point that they clearly enjoy the PS3 more than the 360. Even if they claim to not “hate” it, it’s pretty obvious – so I’d save my breath. =) Not everyone likes getting all the systems.

But on subject I’m pretty happy that the 360 has slowly moved in a better direction in the East, albeit slowly. I’m definitely importing Bayonetta for the 360 and I can’t wait to beat the snot out of it. Does anyone happen to know if there are going to be difficulty settings akin to Devil May Cry or Godhand? I’d love to have a Bayonetta Must Die-esque setting.

Aoshi00

I envy you, I would say Bayonetta is definitely worth importing and more, but the sexy lady will have to wait as I need to devote myself to Mushihime and FFXIII. I just ordered God Hand from Amazon at your recommendation, seems like I let it slip thru the crack :)

Slashlen

You forgot how much people pay to upgrade a hard drive. :)

MS knows that people can’t add up the total cost of ownership for things. Keep a lower price point than the PS3, and once a person buys one, gouge them for every single thing that you can. They’re already several hundred dollars in, they’re not going to go buy a different system because they don’t like the price of the adapter. And even though Live, over the life of the console(and any replacements) will probably cost most people enough that they could have bought another console instead, people are ok with it because each time it’s only $50.

It’s just like how airlines/hotels/banks/anything love adding fees instead of raising prices. It’s a dick move, but it works.

mikanko

I am playing the game now on my JP 360, and while it’s probably my favorite game of the year so far it does have moments of slowdown and screen tearing. Considering the PS3 demo was noticeably chunkier than the 360 demo I played I’d imagine it’d be worse on PS3. Anyone who owns both systems would probably be better off getting the 360 version unless they really love the dual shock 3 that much.

Kris

Well, I’m pleased. Covering the majority of WA tax is a pretty decent deal since I know I’m getting the inferior port.

http://denpanosekai.blogspot.com denpanosekai

Has SEGA commented on the PS3 port issues at all? Is the media not grilling them on this? The only acceptable COA at this point is to delay the American PS3 version or at least patch it immediately. I’m so insulted to read there’s a LOADING SCREEN for the pause menu in the PS3 port, but not in the 360.

daizyujin

PS3 has a larger install base = larger sales than 360360 has nothing of huge note coming out on it = large portion of 360 owning population buys the gameIt really seems pretty obvious to me.

The only ones that are really giving a damn about the Famitsu score differences or are letting it influence their purchase are people that own both consoles, in which case I don’t know why anybody in that position would buy the PS3 version. Besides, it isn’t like that is probably a large amount of the population.

http://honorless.net honorless

I believe the only proper response to that GS price drop is O SNAP.But I don’t agree that this could have been avoided without the pointed finger at Sega. Platinum knew there’d be fallout for a PS3 port that wasn’t on par with the original, so they covered their own asses.Not the nicest move, but they’re the tiny critical darlings staying afloat on a relatively small, very demanding fan following. Of course they’re going to point at the big doughy scapegoat, who can easily shrug off the Bayonetta-sized dent in their reputation.There’ll be some interview with a Platinum exec down the road:”So what was with the PS3 port of Bayonetta?””Oh, we hadn’t even planned a PS3 version. Sega wanted to do it! It was entirely their idea, talk to them wwwww”

kupomogli

I never planned on picking up Bayonetta anyways. The combos look pretty cool, but the art style is terrible.

It’s extremely obvious that the PS3 version is akin to Ghostbusters on the PS3 though. It really does suck for gamers when companies rush to push a game out instead of really putting effort into it.

Akimitsu

While everyone has gotten used to loading times in games, the fact that there’s a small loading needed to access the pause menu on the PS3 version is annoying. The good thing is that SEGA could patch something through to fix some of the issues, but other than some small technical issues (from what I’ve seen, as I don’t own the game yet) it seems to run fine.

endaround

Did you see the report on kotaku about the 360 version selling out?

http://www.siliconera.com/ Ishaan

That’s not surprising; it had a much smaller shipment.

http://www.younganimal.com/berserk Mr_Qoo

These sales comparisons sound like a sad case of continued “Xenophobia” to me which is not out of the ordinary if you’ve ever been there.

Aoshi00

I try to stop short of calling them xenophobic, but I guess that’s really the case, what w/ them trying every rule in the book to stay homogeneous, even kicking out immigrant workers by paying them off, or separating families by sending the parents back to Philippines (while the Jpn born daughter got to stay). I’m still surprised how the Astro Boy movie could not do well in Jpn, it’s based on the manga god Osamu Tezuka’s classic Tetsuwan Atom for god’s sake, maybe it’s lack of advertising and whatnot, but I have a feeling one reason is because it wasn’t made by Japan.

SeventhEvening

I wouldn’t say Japan is not xenophobic, but this is in no way an example of xenophobia. The PS3 install base is much higher in Japan, thus a multiplatform title will obviously sell more on the unit with a higher install base. In the US, games that are multiplatform typically perform better on the 360 due to a higher install base, not because of our xenophobic attitudes towards Japan.

The reason the PS3 install base is higher in Japan is because FPS titles don’t typically perform as well in that market, and FPS titles are the big draw towards a 360. From a technical stand point, the 360 also has massively high failure rates and is less versatile than the PS3. In a market which values versatility and reliability, the 360 is the clear loser (Although I still love mine despite this)

And the Astro Boy movie performed poorly because even the most positive American reviews called it mediocre at best. It wasn’t a good movie. Dragon Ball Evolution also performed badly in the box office in Japan, but that sure as hell wasn’t xenophobia, either.

When a foreign product that fits the Japanese culture’s wants, then it sells. The ipod is popular in Japan, so is the iPhone. American movies top the Japanese box office a lot more than Japanese movies top the American box office. Mac computers sell well, and Microsoft software as well. It’s also pretty easy to locate a McDonalds in Japan.

It’s pretty cheap to blame a products failure’s in Japan on racism or xenophobia, especially given the number of examples of foreign product penetration into the Japanese market. Sometimes products don’t sell because they aren’t what that market wants. The 360, despite it’s efforts, is one of those products.

Aoshi00

I certainly do agree w/ you on many of those points, that the 360 simply does not have as much value as the PS3 dollar/yen-wise if you’re not in FPS (for one Jpn lacks the Netflix service in the US), but I brought up xenophobia because Japanese are supposed to gobble up good JRPGs like Lost Odyssey, Tales of Vesperia, and so many other exclusive (though temporary) JRPGs, and despite how many good JRPGs are on the system they still refuse to get it. Of course you can’t blame anyone for being skeptical w/ the high hardware failure rate, but it’s a problem which pretty much has been all but eliminated w/ the Jasper chip by now. W/ the 360′s current vast and diverse library and attractive price point, there is no excuse in not getting the system, if everyone could afford buying a Wii and let it sit in the living room and collect dust in addition to their PS3.Ditto on American movies topping Jpn box office, such as the reigning champ Titanic. I haven’t seen Astro Boy yet, I thought the CG was quite cute. Also I thought it was risky to revive such an old series (from the 60′s) that most people are not familiar w/ nowadays anyway, unlike TNMT or Transformers that only date back to the 80′s. DB Evolution was of course a piece of turd that should be avoided at all cost:(… I think everyone saw it coming but still went to see how low it can go, just out of “curiosity”, it could’ve turned into something cool in the right hands..

SeventhEvening

I definitely wouldn’t say “so many exclusive” JRPGs. I loved Lost Odyssey, but almost all the Japanese who took the leap for a 360 for exclusive JRPG like Trusty Bell, Tales of Vesperia or Enchant Arms really got the shaft when all of them were ported to the PS3 with new exclusive content. In addition, the other exclusive JRPGs on the 360 were not very good: Infinite Undiscovery was just ok and last remnant was borderline unplayable. Blue Dragon was alright, and Magna Carta II was fantastic, but not exactly something that sells hardware (especially since the first game wasn’t good.)

In the mean time, the PS3 now has enhanced versions of Trusty Bell (Eternal Sonata), Tales of Vesperia, and Enchant Arms (not that it was great) and soon a vastly superior version of Star Ocean 4. On top of that is Disgaea 3, Valkyria Chronicles, Demon’s soul, and Rorona no atelier. Additionally, in Japan FFXIII is a PS3 exclusive. Plus Ryu no Gotoku 3 sold like mad and it’s sequel is coming out next year. It also has no region lock out.

The 360 is a nice system with some solid exclusives, but it really offers few attractive exclusives to the Japanese consumer unless they’re a huge danmaku fan. And that’s a niche fanbase.

Aoshi00

I hear you, I have the same view as you for all of those RPGs, that IU & BD are only okay, LR was plagued w/ problems and while MC2 is good it’s marred by the image of the first game. Danmaku is very niche indeed, Raiden Fighter Aces just turned up on Games on Demand on Jpn Live for 2000 MS pts, wonder if other shumps would soon follow w/ a cheaper price tag. For me it was the JRPGs that got me to buying a 360. I too lament having to double dip for the superior PS3 ports w/ extra content, but it opened up the world of FPS and danmaku to me, and I’m just enjoying everything that it has to offer now. And of course PS3 now has tons of killer apps, blu-ray being de-facto, and a very good price.

Tokyo Guy

Hmm…with respect to sales, if any of you could have seen the sheer splurge on the advertising campaign in Tokyo, you might be disappointed with the sales. Shibuya and Shinjuku stations, for example, were FILLED with billboard sized posters of Bayonetta last week. I was absolutely shocked such an unknown game could have so much spent on advertising. Unfortunately it didn’t seem to pay off…

thebanditking

I have been pestering Sega for weeks to either delay the PS3 ver for America and do extra work for it or to drop the price to reflect the actual value of the port. Now 5 bucks is not nearly enough, as my recomendation would be 39.99 and at the most 49.99. It would be interesting to know if they are actually listening to the everyone, because the official board and the Sega Blogs all have multiple posts complaining. Though I doubt this is the case and has more to do with Amazon and Gamestop being aware of how bad the port is and lowering the price to entice more pre-sales (like with The Last Remnant).

Aoshi00

Amazon really got us w/ the Last Remnant, didn’t they.. should’ve known something was fishy w/ a brand new JRPG going for just $40 on day 1… How could they mess up such a game w/ such high production value, the characters literally moved like robots in every scene for crying out loud.. guess they’re just not that good w/ Unreal..

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